State FFA top awards, leaders

The virtual State FFA convention was held in May. Four star awards are given each year and the Tribune area had one winner and one finalist. They were:

Star in Agri Science: Darrin Williamson, Atwater-Cosmos-Grove City, was the winner.

Star in Agri Business: Valerie Messner, Hancock, was a finalist.

Other announcements included:

State officers: Anna Euerle, Litchfield, was elected State Reporter.

2020 Hall of Fame: Area residents inducted include Kevin Hansen of Montevideo, Kyle Petersen of Murdock and Jere Rambow of Litchfield.

State FFA AgriScience Fair

Students use scientific principles and emerging technologies to solve complex problems related to agriculture, food and natural resources. Students can compete as an individual or with a two-member team in separate divisions divided by grades 7-8, 9-10 and 11-12.

Animal systems: Taylor Rohner-Swart, Kerkhoven-Murdock-Sunburg, grade 9-10; Brooke Anderson and Morgan Pherson, KMS, grade 11-12

Environmental services/natural resource systems: Kendra Koehl, Hancock, grade 7-8; Brock Engler and Hunter Wilts, KMS, grade 11-12

Food products and processing systems: Katelynn Marquardt, KMS, grade 7-8

Plant systems: Sarah Jeppesen, KMS, grade 11-12; Brody Forsell and Lauren Krieger, KMS, grade 11-12

Power, structural and technical systems: Charlie Haug, KMS, grade 11-12; Ben Clark and Jake Elliott, KMS, grade 11-12

Social systems: Eva Schaefer, Hancock, grade 7-8; Levi VanDerSteit, KMS, grade 11-12.

State FFA Proficiency awards

The supervised agricultural experience is a required component of a total agricultural education program and intended for every student. Students are able to consider multiple careers and occupations, learn expected workplace behavior, develop specific skills within an industry, and are given opportunities to apply academic and occupational skills in the workplace or a simulated workplace environment. Area students who received the top proficiency award in a supervised agricultural experience were:

Darrin Williamson, ACGC, agricultural mechanics, fabrication and design

Charlie Hauge, KMS, agricultural mechanics repair and maintenance placement.

Ethan Melberg, ACGC, agricultural services.

Jaden Maanum, Morris, beef production entrepreneurship

Taylor Fester, ACGC, dairy production entrepreneurship

Daniel Williamson, ACGC, diversified livestock production

Morgan Johnson, Dawson-Boyd, equine science entrepreneurship

Wilson Gratz, ACGC, grain production

Grace Hall, Willmar, nursery operations

Hannah Clennon, Redwood Valley, outdoor recreation

Lauren Krieger, KMS, poultry production

Colby Schroeder, Redwood Valley, specialty animal production

Eric Melberg, ACGC, specialty crop production

Calissa Weispfennig, Buffalo Lake-Hector-Stewart, veterinary science

UW-Milwaukee

Graduating at the end of spring semester from the University of Wisconsin school in Milwaukee was:

Paynesville: Amelia Malling, master’s of library and information science

University of Scranton

Graduating at the end of spring semester from the University of Scranton in Scranton, Pennsylvania, was:

Morris: Janaya Kryshae Caines, master’s of accountancy

Ridgewater College

Named to the spring semester dean’s list with a GPA of 3.5 or higher at the school with campuses in Hutchinson and Willmar were:

Appleton: Tiffanie Boraas

Atwater: Ashtyn Goodsen, Kera Sluka, Angelina Trask, Rylie Wilner

Belgrade: Allyana Eblen, Matthew Lieser

Benson: Josie Beyer, Kurt Flegel, Hannah Hanson, Alyssa Kurkosky, Annie Orsten, Emma Orsten, Katie Schnitzler, Joshua Sherod, Maranda Wieber

Bird Island: Spencer Hagen, Kyle Manderscheid, Noah Mitchell, London Prokosch, Brenna Weis

Blomkest: Peter Schreiner

Buffalo Lake: Maleia Ryberg, Malli Ryberg

Clara City: Riley Essendrup, Mikiaela McCormick, Jacob Swanson

Clarkfield: Kaitlyn Siedschlag

Clontarf: Hannah Collins

Cosmos: Stephanie Hanson, Schyler Huft, Joanna Johnson, Marcus Lietzau-Williams, Skylar Meyer, Lindsey Minnick, Corey Peterson, Stephanie Straumann

Darwin: Anthony Cron, Sole Erwin, Carlie Fank, Jessica Lhotka

Dawson: Dorian Cam

Echo: Amanda Lecy, Benjamin Lewison, Tessa Remmele

Glenwood: Lauri Hopp, Ellie Lundblad

Granite Falls: Joshua Nelson

Grove City: Rebecca Bengtson, Sydnee Christianson, Jayson Hedtke, Christopher Kraemer, Brittney Schultz, Hannah VanDerPol, Hannah Weseman

Hancock: Jake Anderson, Ty Feuchtenberger, Brooke Jepma

Hawick: Benjamin Seelhammer

Hector: Emily Kessler, Rae Krumrey, Brian Rogers, Tiffany Smith, Logan Winkelmann

Kandiyohi: Hillary Adams, Taylor Clark, Adaline DeKraai, Madison Elmhorst, Greta Kallevig, Hailey Kallevig, Alexandra Kimmerle, Brianna Woltjer

Kerkhoven: Mackenzie Froelich, Jesse Nelson, Makenna Wieland

Lake Lillian: Ethan Fischer, Isabel Slagter, Alexander Widmer

Litchfield: Carin Burnette, James Calhoon, Anthony Cermak, Lydia Dinius, Rachel Johnson, Griffin Kinny, Robert Kuehn, Austin Lease, John Litzau, Jaycee Lopez, Josh Madsen, Kennedy Mathews, Logan Peterson, Eduardo Serrato, Samuel Sovacool, Rachel Turck

Lowry: Jenna Blair

Maynard: Paige Bourne

Montevideo: Alycia Flickinger, Lauren Kluver, Reece Kuhlmann

Morris: Mitchell Wehking

Morton: Alisha Crooks

Murdock: Domonique McPhail

New London: Grace Adams, Seth Arvila, Kjerstin Bakke, Ashton Engelke, Morgan Gronli, Dori Moudry, Samantha Okuly, Riley Ringler, Josh Soine, Tiara Swart

Olivia: Jack Hanson, Mitch Jaenisch, Libby Kramin, Hanna Larson, Jordan Maurice, Catherine Meyers, Owen Mills, Kelly Mott, Katherine Schafer, Nathan Thomas, Dawson Vosika

Paynesville: Branden Buermann, Theresa Hacklander, Adam Jensen, Tracy Johnson, Noah Lang, Evelin Mackedanz, Jack Meyer, Jodi Phillipp, Shawn Rue

Pennock: Emily Ashburn, Paige McBroom, Dacotah Rohner Erickson, Abigail Teisinger

Redwood Falls: Harlee Ahrens, Gavin Dow, Shayla Shaw

Renville: Ashley Frank, Trent Kjersten, Kristi Mongan, Tania Schemel, Nathan Serbus, Peyton Weidner

Spicer: Brenda Bergman, LaRae DuFresne, Matthew Klundt, Samuel Mulder, Jaden Nelson, Samuel Nelson, Jaryn Ommodt, Jenna Schaeffer, Sara Smith, Reagan Soper, Alexandra Suchy

Sunburg: Nicole Thonvold

Svea: Courtney Carlson

Willmar: Khaled Abdi, Leila Abdi, Daissy Almejo, Caitlyn Alsdurf, Aliyah Anderson, Fatuma Baraki, Stephanie Barrett, Abbegail Berskow, Paul Boss, Abigail Buetow, Amy Camacho, Lenny Cerros, Amanda Chan, Jon Chezik, Crisstill Duaso, Davonte Falk, Abdifatah Farah, Yasmin Farah, Gregory Francis, Kiana Gallinger, Maria Garcia, Jason Grabinger, Habib Hassen, Anne Haugen, Brittany Hirsch, Michaela Holmgren, Scott Huberty, Emily Hunt, Nasra Ibrahim, Zeinab Igale, Blake Jeffords, Joshua Johannes, Kathryn Juetten, Sierra Kallio, Aye Aye Khaing, Samuel King, Lee Kneprath, Jordan Knight, Derek Mattson, Mackenzie Moist, Kathryn Nelson, Rahma Omar, Jaden Palmer, Jeremy Pierskalla, Nunki Reyes, Karina Rice, Adam Roux, Amery Ruffin, Ayden Schueler, Sharon Schultz, Laura Sietsema, Kevin Strey, Suzanna Uvalle, Taw Wah, Brooke Wharem, Tyler Willette